Thursday, June 27, 2013

Triple Digit Temps to Come... How to Beat the HEAT for Farm Animals?

We are expecting another round of triple digit temperatures beginning tomorrow. I am not yet used to this heat. I am most worried about my farm animals. So far, I have been working hard to make sure there's plenty of cool water available all the time for everybody.

I have been watering down the run and yards for the chickens since I've read in a few poultry books that they have no sweat glands and cool off from their feet upward. Who knew? Not me apparently. I also added a fan that's running 24/7 right now to keep the edge off in the coop and in all those nest boxes. That seems to be helping. I have not lost any birds since the last 109 degree day. I don't want to lose anymore of my babies.

I am keeping lots of water available for the goats too, and plenty of shade. There are good strong breezes blowing most of the day around here. Since the goats dislike water so bad, I am not spraying water in their yard though it's so dusty I feel guilty not doing it. I am adding apple cider vinegar and electrolytes to everybody's water, and my goat breeder suggested adding ice cubes to water during the heat of the day to keep the water cool. I am preparing some ice blocks now for tomorrow.

Is there anything YOU do for your animals that seems to really help them beat the heat that you can share with us?

9 comments:

Our Harley kitty stays in the house in the AC but our Miggs loves to be out side hot or not during the day so we have the sprinkler going for her to stay cool or a swim in the river and plenty of fresh water in her bowl under the porch and of course she can cool off in the house in the AC if I can get her to come in lol ! Our chickens on the farm would pant , birds pant like dogs to lower their temps and stay cool as well . It has been hot and humid here to and lots of rain today and for the night right through for tomorrow . Hope you all can stay cool . Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !

We put a tarp over the top of the chickens run . We also add one to the side of the run that gets the noon sun. It brought down the temp by 7 to 10 degrees depending on the time of day. it's not a lot, but every little bit helps.

We crush ice and place it in shaded areas the chickens like to go. For the goats, we hose them down and they love it. My daughter also freezes water in plastic bottles and places them in the water buckets.

We had to put a shade tarp over our pens and the temp. is a great deal lower 15 degrees or more. They are expensive around $70 but have had them for 2 years and chickens would die without it I am sure. The kind I have go over dog kennels and rain comes through of course but they work great. I love your new babies..goats are so cute.

I hosed down my goats today and they were very displeased with me. Lol. I do think it helped perk them up though. I have been making ice blocks in gallon ziplocs and putting them in the water troughs and ice cubes in the chicken waterers. I think it's helping. The fan in the chicken coop seems to really be helping there. I am getting almost an egg a day per girl since I put it to work and they're all putting themselves to bed again before dark since it's cooler in there. I bought a fan today for the goat pen. I will install it tomorrow morning. Thanks for the great ideas. That's how I figured to use the ziplocs.